


Enough

by DragonWannabe



Series: Acceptance [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, If that’s a thing if you’re in an exclusive relationship for 2 years, Lin Beifong Centric, Oblivious!Lin, Requited Unrequited Love, Self Esteem Issues, Sexual Dysfunction, Un-Beta’d, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:00:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26810020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonWannabe/pseuds/DragonWannabe
Summary: Lin is aware of what she can offer outside her job. She’s a workaholic and emotionally inept and no one wants to waste that kind of effort on a bitter old woman.
Relationships: Lin Beifong & Katara, Lin Beifong/Kya (Avatar)
Series: Acceptance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953949
Comments: 21
Kudos: 125





	Enough

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stay](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26568271) by [whutnot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whutnot/pseuds/whutnot). 



> Okay so this is entirely self-indulgent, older wlw fanfic. I love Kya and I love Lin and I certainly love them together because I think they balance each other out very well.
> 
> A lot of Lin’s internalized feelings of worth outside her job are based off of how she reacted in S3E5/S3E6 in Zaofu with a lot of creativity on my end. I’m aware she’s a little bit ... emotional in this one, but it’s been 6 years since we first met her and she’s trying so give her (and me) a break for the OOCness.
> 
> There’s some internalized homophobia, where Lin is certain that her family is homophobic, but maybe there will be another segment that proves they’re not. Idk. It wasn’t worth tagging because Lin’s esteem issues are entirely unrelated to that. 
> 
> Follow me on Twitter (@lilyliv3rs) to see me fawn over all the LoK women.

Lin didn’t have much to offer outside of work. In a professional capacity, she had drive and passion and competency and experience. 

Away from her job, she had her loyalty to give. Even that wasn’t worth the nearly endless cons of being around her. Her temperament hadn’t improved, even after beginning to work things out with her sister and _trying_ to be less bitter. Her hours were still terrible, and her refusal to talk about her emotions was a major drawback to any potential relationship.

Lin wouldn’t be her first choice in a partner, so she couldn’t understand why Kya even agreed to it. 

Lin was giving herself too much credit. Kya hadn’t agreed to a relationship. Kya had agreed that they fuck and she spent the night in Lin’s apartment instead of on Air Temple Island.

So it was nice, having someone with shared life experiences, who knew her personality and accepted it for what it was. It wasn’t a relationship and Lin _wasn’t_ jealous of the time that Kya spent with others. She wasn’t bothered by the fact that she alone wasn’t of enough interest. Kya never mentioned what she did when she wasn’t at Lin’s, but Lin could only assume.

Even if Lin wasn’t self aware, she also knew what Kya was like. Kya didn’t want to be tied down. The first time it was suggested to her that she settle down, a 20 year old Kya fled from Republic City with her boat, some food and a bed roll, leaving her family behind. Lin was only 14 at the time, but Tenzin filled her in on the island’s events every time she visited. 

Kya hadn’t even said goodbye. 

So no, Lin didn’t want to pressure her into fleeing to the South Pole again. It was easy. Lin was uninterested in finding alternate partners, Kya was enough for her and she didn’t have the time, but who was she to begrudge Kya?

Aware of how little she brought to the table in a relationship, Lin tried not to make demands of Kya’s time, even though the reverse certainly wasn’t true. Kya would call her office and demand dinner before spending the night together and Lin couldn’t stop herself from agreeing. Butterdragonflies filled her at the idea of Kya seeking her out for companionship outside of the bedroom.

Afterwards, it would almost certainly end with them in her bedroom. But Lin could pretend that Kya wanted her for something more. She was old. She was allowed to have a fantasy every once in a while, but she never, _ever_ let herself forget that it was just that, a fantasy.

——

It started after Kuvira decimated the Earth Kingdom and tried to do the same to Republic City. Kya was in charge of all the healers in the city and the relief efforts. Both the Earth Empire and Republic city suffered heavy casualties, and the healers weren’t discriminatory as to who they helped. 

Lin was tasked with helping relocate the newly homeless population. She focused half her attention on the housing efforts and half on trying to battle the Triads who were trying to take advantage of the power vacuum in the city. 

Her officers were stretched thin, and she knew many of them were working hours similar to _hers_ which wasn’t a good thing. Multiple officers slept under their desks instead of wasting an hour returning home, and the showers at the precinct were receiving significantly more use than normal. 

Lin rubbed her forehead. It was cruel to demand this non stop work from her officers, and they weren’t performing their best because of it. They had families they were worried about. 

She had called Su, who gave her the contact information of good construction benders, capable of creating temporary housing outside the city and for every family that found shelter, there were five more that needed accommodations. Lin wasn’t particularly skilled in creating buildings, having had more experience destroying them.

She looked at the list of officers, deciding at random who was taking a mandatory three days off, for the next two weeks making sure that every officer was included at least once. She ignored Raiko’s calls demanding she do more. She couldn’t get anything done if her officers dropped out from exhaustion and she was already allotting what resources she could to the relief efforts. 

Lin turned on her hot plate, warming the water required for a cup of tea. As she waited for the water to heat, she took the updated schedule and posted it to the bulletin board in the main room, ignoring the twinge in her hip.

“New schedule for the next two weeks!” she barked, trying not to appear as tired or sore as she felt. “Everyone has a mandatory few days off.” She walked back to her office, feeling everyone’s excitement and reviewing the schedule. A few words of excitement could be heard through her door. 

She set her tea to steep and started drafting reports for the reconstruction. She knew it was going to be a long night, and _she_ was probably going to sleep in her office. Her schedule didn’t include the chief— her job couldn’t be done by anyone else. Her captains and Saikhan were busy monitoring the two main focuses, and couldn’t be spared for the tedious paperwork involved in fixing Su’s adopted brat’s mess. 

Lost in her work, she didn’t notice as it neared two in the morning. A knock on the door made her jump, and she cursed before standing up. Whoever was on the other side of the door wasn’t armed, so it might have been one of her night shift. She opened the door, only to see Kya standing there, hands on her hips. 

“You can’t work yourself like this, you know.” She scolded, like Lin was a child. 

Lin bristled. “I can and I will.” She made to shut the door, but Kya pushed past her and stood in front of her desk, arms crossed over her chest. 

“Nope! You need to go home and actually sleep in a real bed. Lin, you’re not young anymore. You need to start taking care of yourself better.” 

Lin rolled her eyes. “I don’t need you lecturing me about my sleep habits. They’re _fine_.” 

“I’m a healer, it’s my job to lecture you about your sleep habits. It’s two AM. You need to go home and rest.” 

“You’re awake, aren’t you, hypocrite?” Lin sat back down at her desk. She had done paperwork multiple times when the little airbenders visited, and Kya wasn’t more annoying than Meelo. 

“A little bird-beetle told me you were working yourself to the bone and I should pay a visit tonight.” Kya sing-songed. She turned serious, “You’re giving your officers mandatory leave, so why aren’t you giving yourself the same break? You can’t function like this.”

Lin tried to think who was in charge of the healing efforts. “You can tell Captain Kiko that I’m going to kick his ass the next time I see him. He has no business gossiping to you about me.”

“Don’t sidestep the question. Why don’t you deserve a break? I know you haven’t left this office in days.” Kya demanded. 

Lin wasn’t going to tell her about the disappointment that she hadn’t been able to defend her city, the relief that someone was always at the station and she wasn’t ever alone, the fear that something would happen to her officers and she wouldn’t be there to help. 

“There’s only one Chief, Kya. All of the other officers can be covered by someone else. I can’t, so get out and let me do my job.” she ordered. 

“Lin, so help me, I will file a report that says you are unfit for duty.” The older woman threatened. Lin looked up to see Kya standing with her arms crossed over her chest, and she ignored the voice in the back of her head that was fawning over the waterbender. Not when she was being so obstinate.

“You can’t threaten me; I know you don’t have that kind of authority.” she spat, bristling. Childhood familiarity or not, Kya couldn’t come into her office and threaten her. “Get out and go back to the island or wherever you stay when you’re here.”

“We’re worried about you!” Kya looked like she was gearing up for a long tirade, so Lin interrupted. 

“Well, don’t be! I didn’t ask you to be! This isn’t the first time my hours have been ... excessive. It will die down.” This was nothing compared to her hours immediately after Tenzin broke up with her. At least this time there was actual work that had to be done instead of her making up work and terrorizing her officers.

Kya frowned and looked at her with unmeasurable pity. Lin could feel herself becoming more defensive. 

Before she could say something truly barbed, Kya softened. “Lin, it wasn’t just Kiko.” She really was going to kick his ass next time she saw him, relief efforts or not. “Multiple officers of yours asked me to talk sense into you. They’re worried. You look terrible and we’re _old_. Sleeping in places that aren’t our beds isn’t good for us.”

Lin buried her face in her hands. “It’s easier. To sleep here. I promise I’m _trying_ , okay? Go home.”

“How is it easier to sleep here? Lin, there’s not even beds! You have to sleep on the floor!” 

Which... Lin should work on that, when all of this was over. Making overnight accommodations for officers that couldn’t go home. She should have worked on it when Mako was sleeping under his desk, but that was a personal choice from him and she had done it often enough to know it wouldn’t kill him. 

Lin glared at Kya. Her sleeping habits weren’t any of the healer’s business. She shouldn’t have mentioned what she did. “Get out before I have you arrested for trespassing.” There. That was better than making a comment about how Kya knew nothing of sacrificing herself for the betterment of everyone else around her.

Her comment only hardened Kya’s resolve. “Lin, I am in charge of all medical relief efforts, which includes your department. I can, and will, go to Raiko, _who you report to_ , and mark you as unfit for duty and force you to take leave. I am the best healer on this earth except for my own mother, and he will listen to me. Why won’t you go back to your apartment and sleep for the day?”

“It’s quiet!” Lin spat, recognizing the threat for what it was. “My apartment is quiet and empty and I don’t want to be alone right now, Kya. I’m fine sleeping here.” Lin felt pathetic admitting to not wanting to be alone. Her apartment had been empty for over a decade, ever since that ambassador, and she was used to it. She even appreciated her solitude most of the time. When she didn’t, she slept in her office. Easy fix.

“I’ll go back with you. You have a couch right? I need to rest too, and I don’t want to be woken up by my brother’s kids screaming in the morning.” Kya suggested and Lin _wanted_ to take her up on it, she missed her bed if not the walls surrounding it. 

Lin sighed, shoulders dropping, “I can’t. I have to finish these budget reports and look over this investigation into the Terra Triad because I’m worried they’re up to something particularly horrible since Kuvira attacked their territory.”

“How long has that been on your desk?” Kya asked. 

“A few days? A week? There’s been so many things going on it feels like I’m never going to catch up.” She rubbed her forehead. 

“Then it’ll keep until tomorrow afternoon or the morning after.” She walked around the desk and gently grabbed Lin’s arm, pulling on it. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” 

Lin was tired. She was tired of arguing and tired of sitting at her desk for days in a row except to go stand by Raiko during a press conference. “Fine. I’m directing all complaints to you.” She shook off Kya’s arm and grabbed her coat, wrapping it around herself before tying it tightly.

She drove them back to her apartment, and Kya joined her in the lift. They walked in silence down the hall, and Lin pulled out the key to her apartment. 

“I have a guest bed, you don’t need to sleep on the couch.” Lin didn’t know what it said about her that she had a guest bed that hadn’t ever been used. A housekeeping service changed the sheets periodically, but beyond that expense Lin avoided the room. It had always been a fantasy to her, that someone she wasn’t fucking would elect to spend the night for a visit.

“Oh thank the spirits, I really would have done it, but my back would have killed me in the morning.” Kya grinned at her. They walked into the apartment, Lin flicking on the light. Lin shrugged. 

“It’s down the hall and to the right. My room is on the left.” She walked down the aforementioned hall, opening the door to her room. “The bathroom is there,” she gestured “If you want to clean yourself up, or whatever.”

Her uniform flew off her and landed in the closet. Lin hadn’t realized how much her armor had been keeping her upright as she sagged. Exhaustion weighed down her every movement, limbs heavy. She landed in her bed and crawled under the sheets, not even bothering to remove her clothes.

She could hear Kya turn on the water and hear her gently closing the guest room door. The gentle noises sent her straight to sleep. 

——

She woke up to sunlight on her face and cursing from outside her room. It took her a few moments to realize that it was just Kya, who had invited herself to Lin’s apartment. 

Lin felt disgusting. Shame settled low in her gut at needing someone around to help her sleep. Her mouth was dry, and her hair was plastered around her face. A thin layer of sweat covered her body, on top of the layer that already existed. 

She wanted to close her eyes and go back to sleeping away her day, but she knew she needed to clean herself up and get back to the station. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the stiffness in her knees. Lin stood, rubbed her face, grabbed some clothes and stalked to the bathroom. Kya had clearly used it to freshen herself up, and Lin didn’t like the nervous feeling of inadequacy digging its way into her stomach. She knew her apartment was... lacking decoration or a personal touch.

She was thorough and clinical in cleaning herself up. She looked at herself in the mirror when she was done and started dragging a comb through her hair. She had long hair until she joined the force, and then the maintenance simply wasn’t worth it. She’d chopped it off without a second thought, and didn’t bring herself to regret the choice now. Every few months she cut her own hair again, and now with all the mess Kuvira had caused, her hair sorely needed trimmed and she couldn’t bring herself to care enough to bother. 

Even showered and hair tended to, Lin knew she still looked like shit. She had been skipping meals on accident, not remembering until all the vendor stalls were closed. Well. There wasn’t anything she could do about that now.

Satisfied with her appearance, she dressed and walked towards the living area, where all the commotion was. She looked at the clock on the wall and was shocked to see it was mid afternoon. Maybe she had been worse than she thought. 

Kya was in the kitchen, making something with ingredients that hadn’t been in her apartment the night before. She turned to see her host and exclaimed, “Lin! I hope you don’t mind, but I went to the market one street over and grabbed some stuff to make dinner!”

Lin was speechless. She couldn’t recall the last time someone had actually cooked for her. It had to have been over a decade ago. She surveyed the ingredients, and it looked like Kya was making a simple stir fry with rice. 

“Did you sleep okay?” Lin dragged her attention to the woman in front of her, hoping she hadn’t missed Kya saying anything important.

“I slept fine.” Lin responded. In all honesty, she felt like she could go back into bed and sleep until the morning. Her thoughts were still slow with the vestiges of sleep. She set the kettle on her stove, wanting something to help her wake from her stupor. 

“Your guest room is _really_ comfortable, thanks for letting me sleep there last night. Going back to the stone slabs Dad liked is going to be rough.” She joked, smiling as she whisked some sauced together. 

“Feel free to make use of it whenever you want.” Lin responded, carefully not thinking about how much she wanted Kya to take her up on the offer. She remembered how horrible the beds on the island were, and she had been in her prime when she slept there. Her kettle whistled and she busied herself making a cup of tea. Once the tea bag was steeping, she glanced at Kya, who had yet to respond to the offer. 

Kya had stopped all movement entirely and was just looking at Lin. “If the idea is that offensive to you, you don’t have to take me up on it.” Lin tried to ease the tension she had caused. She had thought her tone had been nonchalant, barely caring, but it probably sounded like a wretch begging for company. Which... wasn’t wrong, but Lin didn’t like to think of herself that way. 

“No! No, I just was surprised, is all.” Kya began moving again, “If you’re serious, I’d like to do this again. Your place is much quicker to get to than the island.”

Lin ignored the fluttering in her stomach at the idea of dinner and company being a reoccurring thing. “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”

Kya beamed, and added all the ingredients into the wok she had heating. The sizzling vegetables released a delectable aroma, and Lin heard her stomach rumble and knew Kya did too. 

She was right. The meal was delicious. 

Lin went back to sleep on a full stomach and returned to the precinct the next day, one spare key lighter. 

——

Her extended shifts continued, broken every so often by Kya dropping by and Lin leaving her work behind. Slowly the pile on her desk dwindled into something manageable, and the healers camps got smaller and smaller as more housing was built and the homeless population shrank. 

Kya started bringing small gifts, like a small rock she found that she thought Lin would like or a new vegetable neither one of them had heard of. Lin helped prepare their meals, chopping ingredients and sharpening her knives periodically. 

The night Kya brought a couple of bottles of wine home, the two of them split them, sitting on Lin’s couch and chatting about the day. Fuzzy from the drink, Lin dared to sit close enough to Kya she could feel the warmth of her thigh. 

Even as she dared to sit so close, she tried to restrain herself from wanting. She wanted to lean against Kya, properly feel her warmth. She wanted to touch her and make her smile and she hadn’t felt this anxiety since she was a teenager. Lin stared at her companion, who was telling some story from when she visited the Northern Water Tribe as a young adult. Kya’s animated demeanor was so beautiful and Lin knew she paled in comparison.

Kya finished her story and when Lin didn’t say anything, she asked “What’s on your mind tonight? I don’t think you’ve heard a word I said.” Which wasn’t true, Lin had listened to most of the story, even if she was distracted. 

“I was thinking that I wanted to kiss you.” Lin said, not thinking. As the words registered with her brain, and she stiffened, quickly standing up and stammering apologies, the pleasant warmth from the alcohol disappearing as the feeling of cold water seized her. “I’m so sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”

Kya was still looking at her, and Lin felt worse than the dirt under her heel. They were supposed to be _friends_ and Lin couldn’t keep herself from having inappropriate thoughts. She knew Kya liked women, but even so, that didn’t mean she had to like Lin. 

Kya stood and grabbed her hand and Lin shut her mouth with a click. “If you’re serious... Lin, I—“

Kya was cut off as Lin cupped her face and leaned down to meld their mouths together. Kya stood there for a moment, and Lin started to panic, before she could feel Kya kissing her back. 

Elation filled Lin, drowning out the anxiety she had felt only seconds prior. Lin trailed her hands from Kya’s face, one gently touching her hair while the other found its way to her neckline. 

Kya broke the kiss. “Lin, we can’t.” She pushed Lin back, and desperation seized the younger woman. She had _ruined_ everything. Uninhibited by the alcohol, tears welled up in her eyes and Lin nodded in understanding. She was asking for too much. She was _always_ asking for too much.

“I’m—“ Lin’s voice cracked, both from the breathlessness that was left over from the kiss and the tears that threatened to fall. She took in a steady breath. “I’m sorry.”

It was wholly inadequate of an apology compared to the shame she was feeling, but any more and Lin wasn’t going to be able to halt the tears. She looked away. It had hurt watching the last time she was rejected, and she had some self preservation instinct to not want to see it again. 

Delicate fingers swiped under her eyes, because, oh, the tears really had spilled over. Guilt filled her at this manipulation. She shouldn’t have done that. 

“Lin, honey, don’t apologize to me. You’ve done nothing worth apologizing for.” Kya tried placating her, one hand stroking her hair and it had been _so_ long since she had received this form of comfort that Lin wanted to give in. She couldn’t, knowing it would be snatched back in only a few moments. “Lin, look at me.” 

Lin forced her eyes to look at Kya. It was the least she could do after violating her trust like that. She began steeling herself for the rebuke she knew was imminent. For the withdrawal of friendship she had cherished over the past month and a half. She tried not to think too hard about the future, her soon to be empty apartment that would suffocate her again with its silence.

“Lin, you’re drunk.” Which... wasn’t wholly accurate. Lin could still think and she wouldn’t consider herself impaired. “If you still want this in the morning, I’d be more than happy to talk to you about this.”

Lin nodded. They could talk about it in the morning, which was punishment enough. Her soul curdled at the idea of talking about her feelings.

“Let’s get you to bed, hmm?” Kya suggested kindly. Lin didn’t want to. She didn’t want to be alone for another night, not when it was so close. She frowned, unable to stop herself, but allowed her hand to be grasped by the shorter woman and let Kya lead her back to her room. 

“You can stay.” Lin said, one last pathetic attempt. Kya said they would talk in the morning. She didn’t seem opposed to Lin, just the state Lin was currently in. She looked confused so Lin elaborated, “In my room. Tonight. You don’t have to sleep in the guest.”

“If you’re mad at me in the morning, I’m going to remind you that you asked.” Kya teased, and Lin wouldn’t be mad in the morning, not at Kya. But she followed Lin into the bare room. 

Lin removed her outer layer of clothing, the one she had worn to work and glanced over at Kya who was doing the same. She quickly averted her gaze, and put on her night clothes. She pulled back the blankets, and got into bed. Kya joined her, and Lin ached to close the distance between them. 

She scolded herself. This space was for the best; she didn’t want to make Kya more uncomfortable than she already had.

The alcohol and warmth next to her lulled Lin to sleep almost instantly. 

——

When she woke up, mildly nauseous with the beginnings of a proper headache, the space had disappeared. Kya’s warm (soft, beautiful) body was pressed up against hers, and she could feel the waterbender’s leg between hers. Kya was still asleep. Lin could hear her rhythmic breathing and she resolved to keep the illusion for as long as she could.

Lin closed her eyes and soaked in the warmth she hadn’t received in over a decade. Anyone she met with didn’t come to her apartment and spend the night. Her head was beginning to pound ferociously, and yeah, Lin deserved that after drinking a bottle and a half. She definitely deserved it after the stunt she pulled the previous night. Mind no longer clouded with alcohol, Lin could see that Kya wasn’t going to be mad be even if she did reject her. 

She had said that she wasn’t opposed, except Lin was inebriated. So. Lin would simply not be inebriated the next time.

Lin was grateful she didn’t have to be at the station. In the past 6 weeks her hours had decreased to something resembling normal, and she regularly took one day a week off to catch up on personal things. She had known when she saw the bottles Kya had brought that she wouldn’t be going into work the next morning unless something dire happened. Lin wasn’t the type to drink recreationally; the few times she was invited for drinks with Saikhan and the others she had made the other officers nervous, and she didn’t want to ruin their nights.

The body next to her stirred and Lin cracked open her eyes, ignoring the pounding in her skull. A head full of white hair was buried into her chest, and Lin hadn’t realized how much taller than Kya she was until the night before when she had to lean down to kiss her. Even now, Kya fit perfectly in her arms.

Kya started to pull away from the embrace and Lin let her, turning so she laid on her back, looking at the ceiling and squinting. She pushed the blankets off of her.

“I don’t suppose you healers have anything for a hangover?” she grumbled. 

Kya laughed, “Yeah, I can help you there, Lin.” She stood, heading to the kitchen to collect some water before padding back to Lin’s room. When she came back, she was holding both a glass and a bowl. She handed Lin the glass first. “Drink this. We should have done this part last night, but I was uh... preoccupied.” Lin felt the blush spread across her face. They would be talking about it, then. She downed the water carefully, aware of the nausea in her stomach. When she was finished she set the glass on the night stand. 

Kya lifted the water out of the bowl and brought it towards Lin’s head. Lin could feel the tingly coolness that indicated healing and her head started pounding less and less. Finally, Kya withdrew the water and put it back in the bowl.

“You’re good at that.” Lin said, “Have you practiced it before?” She tried to give a small smile, wanting it to appear teasing instead of accusatory. 

Kya snorted, “Yeah, on myself. I think I really perfected the technique when I was in my twenties. Bumi has been on the receiving end of it a time or two as well.” 

Silence fell between them, the elephant-seal in the room looming. 

“So—“ Kya started.

“Can this—“ Lin began to ask. They both stopped and Lin tried again. “Can this wait until I’m dressed? I don’t want to have this conversation at all and I’d rather not do it in my night clothes.” 

“I’ll be in your kitchen.” Kya’s voice had lost the teasing lilt and fell flat. Lin was faced with the uncomfortable feeling that she had misspoke.

She dressed quickly in her sweats and tank top. She tried to ignore the dread in her stomach at the idea of talking to Kya about this. Kya spent the night in her bed last night. It wasn’t going to go poorly. She had faced criminals with fewer nerves than she did now. 

“Get it together, Beifong.” she mumbled to herself, heading out to the kitchen. She was a big girl and could handle whatever the consequences of her actions were last night. 

Kya was sitting at her table, stirring two cups of tea. She looked up at Lin and wordlessly handed her a mug. Lin sat opposite her guest and waited for her to say something before Lin had to embarrass herself.

She didn’t have to wait long. Kya sighed, before saying “I guess the first question to ask is if you remember what happened last night?”

“I— yeah I remember.” She was hoping she hadn’t misconstrued what Kya had said the previous night. Kya was totally blank faced, and Lin couldn’t tell what was going on in her head. 

Lin waited for Kya to say something, but she just looked at Lin. A minute passed. 

“Well, are you going to say anything about it?” Kya demanded and Lin could feel her chi retracting from her skin and trying to hide in her chest. She had promised last night to deal with it in the morning and despite Kya’s sudden attitude change, she _had_ kissed Lin back the night before. 

“I would do it again now if I didn’t think you would drown me.” She said, taking the bullpotamus by the horns. Kya would take this as an invitation, to drown or kiss, and Lin would welcome either at this point. 

“I’m not going to drown you!” Kya sputtered. “You’re the one who’s been grumpy all morning dreading this conversation!”

“I didn’t think it needed talking about.” Lin huffed. “I wasn’t that drunk last night.”

“Lin, you drank a bottle and a half!” the healer argued. Lin shrugged and didn’t respond. It was Kya’s turn. “Well, if you don’t regret it, let’s give it another go then, hmm?” Kya suggested. 

They were sitting on opposite ends of the table and Lin knew she had been more suave the night before, a bottle and a half later than she was going to be right now. She stood and walked around towards Kya, who stood as well. Lin felt like she towered over the older woman and she felt a small thrill at the idea of being taller than her companion for once.

Their lips met and Lin didn’t remember how wonderful kissing could be when she actually liked the person she was kissing instead of just trying to get off. 

She could feel one of Kya’s hands sneaking up her shirt, tracing her stomach. They parted, panting. “We don’t... we don’t have to take this slow, if you don’t want to.” Lin tried leaving it up to interpretation. She wanted Kya in her bed and she wanted to wring noises from her that she would be embarrassed about at a different time. 

“Spirits, yes.” Kya growled, and Lin started walking them back to her room. She was hopeful that Kya wouldn’t need the guest bed again. 

——

Afterwards, sitting in bed with a dozing waterbender next to her, Lin tried to commit the feeling into memory. 

She tried to ignore the dread in her stomach. That her body hadn’t reacted with as much fervor at it ought to have. She’d had one night stands with women, after she thought she might be interested, and she never had any issues. The beautiful woman next to her had, prior to this morning, caused Lin to react properly. Lin had had a few nights where she couldn’t stop thinking, imagining and her underclothes had gotten soaked. 

So why couldn’t she do it when Kya was actually in her bed? She was grateful that she wasn’t entirely dry. She didn’t want her companion to think Lin wasn’t interested. She was. Lin wanted Kya more than she had thought possible at her age. She would monitor it, keeping it from the healer as long as possible. Kya wouldn’t want to be with someone who couldn’t properly show they were interested. 

——

Lin didn’t tell Katara about Kya. It felt wrong to tell her pseudo-mother about her actual daughter’s activities, even if it was something vague like them attending a theatre showing. She didn’t want to risk making Katara think there was something more going on, and embarrassing herself by assuming Kya and her were something they weren’t.

The one time she asked Kya if she had told her mom about the two of them, Kya’s confused, “Why would I tell my mom about us?” cemented Lin’s belief that it wasn’t a relationship. They were friends with benefits, and Lin would be grateful for what she got.

Normal kids told their parents when they were in a relationship. Lin might not have had a normal relationship with Toph, but she knew that much. Tenzin had told Katara and Aang about the two of them. She was reasonably sure Vornak had told his mom. 

Normal kids hid flings from their parents. Lin understood where their relationship lay. 

——

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to convince the esteemed Chief Beifong to slum it with street food.” Kya teased, waving a kebab in front of Lin. 

“I’m not much of a cook, Kya.” Lin deadpanned. Kya had tasted Lin’s cooking before, when she fried an egg with some vegetables and that was about the limit of her expertise. She didn’t have the patience for cooking. Neither did her mother. They often split take out or the older one did the cooking.

Kya laughed freely. “Don’t I know it!” 

They meandered the streets of Republic City, chatting about the antics of Lin’s officers and Kya’s family before reaching Lin’s doorstep. Lin raised an eyebrow, and Kya joined her in the lift. This was routine. Dinner and then meeting at Lin’s place for after dinner activities.

Lin pulled her key out, unlocking the platinum lock she had recently installed in the apartment. It made things slightly more inconvenient for her coming home, but made her feel better after Kuvira’s stunt. 

Ushering Kya inside, Lin relocked the door and dropped the key in the basket. No sooner had she done so, Kya grabbed her hand and spun her around. Lin let her, before being drawn into a kiss. She slowly walked them back to her bedroom, hands roaming. 

She liked that her uniform could only be removed by herself or another metal bender, that Kya would have to wait until Lin took off her outer layer. Besides, the waterbender definitely had a thing for Lin in her uniform. 

Stepping into her room, she disconnected from Kya, who watched with rapt attention as her uniform flew off and settled itself in her closet. She wasted no time in touching the now accessible metalbender, fingering the hem of her tank top before sliding a hand underneath. A finger grazed her nipple and Lin could feel it pebbling in anticipation and sighed. 

Kya smirked. Lin pushed her onto the bed, Kya acquiescing easily, hands trailing against Lin’s stomach. She straddled the smaller woman, trailing kisses from her jawline to the base of her neck, rucking up her tunic and tracing her abdomen. She inched her hand up, caressing Kya through her bindings. 

Lin looked at the tunic that was obstructing her access. “Do you mind if I take this off?” Kya nodded, breathing out an affirmation. Lin wasted no time in dragging the tunic above Kya’s head, and then threw it on the floor. 

Lin redoubled her efforts, trailing her lips down Kya’s body. Kya started to take off her bindings, giving Lin better access to her chest. Lin ran one hand up, teasing one nipple while her mouth found the other. Kya let out a soft moan and started to ghost along Lin’s waistband before Lin grabbed her wrist. “I’m afraid that’s not... the best idea right now.”

Kya looked confused, so Lin elaborated, “I’m bleeding. It started this morning. Just let me take care of you, hmm?” 

Kya looked at her for a second, before smiling, “Ah, I forget how much younger than me you are.” she laughed, “I don’t miss that at all.” 

She felt a little bad for lying, but she didn’t want Kya to think Lin found her unattractive. Despite the warmth in her abdomen and the throbbing between her legs, she knew she wasn’t reacting the way she should to having someone as beautiful as Kya in her bed. So far each time had been covered by saying she was bleeding— it wasn’t every time they had sex, thank the spirits. But it was often enough that Lin felt ashamed that her body wouldn’t act properly. She could feel it, and it was better that Lin was unsatisfied than for Kya to feel like she wasn’t enough. 

“I’m ready for it to be over, myself.” Lin grumbled before resuming her previous task. She alternated her ministrations on each nipple, ensuring that each one was left pebbled and pert and glistening. 

“You gonna do anything else with that mouth of yours?” Kya complained. 

Lin smiled, before moving her lips in a line towards Kya’s skirt, slowly sliding it down her strong thighs before adding it to the heap on the floor. “Where exactly did you want my mouth?” She kissed her knee, “Here?” her thigh, “Here?” the junction of her leg and torso, “Here? Kya, you really need to be more specific.” The last kiss drew a soft moan. 

She withdrew her head, resting her chin on her lover’s stomach, looking at her. 

Kya groaned. “Lin, I want your beautiful, gorgeous mouth _on my cunt_ and your fingers _in it_. Is that specific enough?”

Lin flushed. She wasn’t used to such blatant desire, even after being one of Kya’s lovers for months. Every time Kya put her in the same situation, it involved a lot more stammering. 

Lin obliged. 

——

Eventually Kya was going to find out. Lin knew this, she didn’t make Chief of Police for being stupid. She’d probably be mad at Lin for lying to her and end their trysts and Lin would go back to being alone. 

Kya was her friend now, though, which is more than she had been before. Even if their nights came to an end, Lin was a reasonably sure she could salvage the friendship. It was nice, after over a decade of nothing outside work but the biweekly letter to Katara. Korra demanded her time when President Moon made demands on Korra’s time. Tenzin’s kids never grew out of their weird fascination with her, and all of them had made multiple unplanned visits to her office. 

She even was talking to Su and she didn’t hate her mother. If a thirty year grudge could be worked through, Lin was certain that Kya wouldn’t leave her entirely.

——

Lin knew Bumi knew about them. Kya and Bumi were closer than Tenzin and Kya, and Bumi didn’t have the disadvantage of being oblivious. When the two of them came to the island for family dinner, he winked at her and clapped her shoulder. Lin barely stopped the blush that was covering her face. It didn’t matter to her what Bumi thought. He probably had the wrong idea, anyway.

Kya still spent some nights on the island, claiming her childhood room. Lin thought she stayed in her apartment more often, and the feeling of playing house, one that she had let die with her relationship with Tenzin, slowly crept in. She wanted Kya to want to stay with her. She wanted to come home at shitty hours of the day and Kya be reading in her living room or asleep in bed and easy to rouse with a few light kisses. She wanted to retire from the force, eventually, and spend days at time with Kya, maybe traveling the way she hadn’t for so long or just walking around Republic City. 

——

Lin made an effort to come home for dinner most nights. Occasionally she’d receive a call from Kya that she’d be spending the night on the island, and Lin used those occasions to catch up on work. Her gait was stiff when she walked out of her office, having sat in one position for far too long. 

Lin was excited. She had found a beautiful hair clip for Kya’s birthday in the upcoming week and had bought it without even glancing at the price. Kya had taken to decorating her signature bun with a clip to match her outfit, and it matched her formal watertribe clothes perfectly. The next time she found occasion to wear them, she would have a fully complete look. It was something friends would do for one another, so Lin didn’t think she was crossing any boundaries.

——

Lin realized something was wrong when Kya withdrew her hand from Lin’s pants and started rummaging through the drawer. Mind hazy, still preoccupied with the feelings that Kya could induce in her, it took a few moments to realize how badly Lin had messed up. 

She hadn’t been keeping tabs on her body. Kya _knew_ , now, of Lin’s inadequacy and Lin felt like the floor dropped out from under her and there was nothing she could grab on to. 

Fear coursed through her, fear that Kya would leave, wanting someone who wasn’t broken half the time. Shame filled her; she was used to forcing her body to do what she wanted and the fact that it refused so basic a request curdled her stomach. She didn’t want Kya to feel any of this. Lin was the one who was lacking, not her. She sat up, crossing her legs. 

She grabbed Kya’s wrist, drawing her attention. “I didn’t— You weren’t supposed to find out.” She ground out after a few moments. 

Confusion filled Kya’s face, “What are you talking about?” She turned back to her drawer, cursing. “I would have sworn I left it in here.”

Lin blanched at the idea of saying it out loud. Inside her head, it wasn’t so permanent that Kya could leave over it. Lin still had time to fix herself if she just didn’t admit it out loud. She tried again, “I really was enjoying myself.” 

Her voice was quiet but earnest. If Kya could believe her, maybe it wouldn’t ruin everything. 

Nightstand forgotten, Kya looked at her properly. “I know you were? Lin, I don’t understand.” 

Her throat was dry and tears pricked her eyes at the utter concern on Kya’s face. She didn’t deserve that after lying to her for months. She tried memorizing Kya’s face before forcing herself to look away. It was easier, if she couldn’t see it. 

“It really isn’t you, I promise.” She was still too cowardly to just spit it out, to knowingly ruin the best thing she’d ever had. “I’ve been _trying_ to fix it, I swear.” 

“Is this about the lube? Lin, why are you so upset? It happens.” Except it didn’t just happen. _Kya_ didn’t have this problem and, oh, she must have kept the lube because she knew Lin was inadequate. She had known and Lin had _lied_ and she still wasn’t great at relationships of any sort, even as casual as this one, where only one other person knew for sure about it, but she knew that was often a dealbreaker.

She had done this and she would live with the consequences, horrible and lonely as they would be. 

“You don’t need to placate me.” Lin ground out, trying to put her emotional armor in place before Kya left. It would be better that way. 

“Lin, I’m not trying to placate you! We’re old, this happens.” Kya argued. 

“Not to you.” Lin pointed out. Not once had Kya been anything but perfect. She wasn’t a scarred, bitter old woman. She was relaxed and carefree and had always been that way. 

“Yeah, not _anymore_. I’m basically retired. I haven’t had anyone try to kill me or my family in a over two years! It’s been great! You’re still working and stressed about it.” Kya stopped. “How often does this happen? Lin, it’s an easy enough workaround.”

Lin was silent. It wasn’t super often that she’d have to avoid activities entirely, but rarely was she as up to snuff as she should have been. Any time Kya would have made them stop, she’d avoided. 

“Lin?” the concern grated on Lin’s nerves. 

“I haven’t actually had a period in _years_ , Kya. I’ve been lucky it’s not this bad every time, or you would have found out sooner.” Lin tried to sneer, to make it seem like she didn’t care about what was going on. It would be easier to keep herself together until Kya left that way. Like she had on the island when Tenzin dumped her. It sounded more pathetic than she had intended. 

“This is what you were trying to hide by lying about that? I didn’t want to press, but I already knew about it. We share a bathroom and I take out the trash all the time. Lin, it’s seriously not that big of a deal.” 

Never before had Lin wished she had been capable of learning if people were lying or not. Even at her job, her people were good at collecting evidence so it wasn’t necessary. 

“Why did you hide it from me? I’m a healer, it’s kind of my job to be in tune with the body, y’know.” Kya joked, giving a small smile. She was _so_ beautiful and Lin couldn’t hope to compare.

It was better if she just said it. Kya had a gift of making Lin want to share what was bothering her, better than anyone else. Last time being that vulnerable had led Kya into her life, and now it was going to push her out. Lin would move on. She had other things to occupy her time. Maybe she would go visit her mom in the swamp again.

“I didn’t want you to leave when you realized how unsatisfying I was. I know that’s why you’ve stayed this long,” Kya’s face morphed into something angry, “And it’s fine. I get it, I really, really do. I’m not going to destroy the island a second time, if you’re worried about that.” There. A bit of humor at the end so this wouldn’t hurt so bad. 

Kya pushed away from her, stood and started pacing. “Do you really think that little of me? Lin, I’ve been spending the night with you, practically living here, for over two years!”

This wasn’t the reaction that Lin had expected. She expected an acknowledgement and then Kya to suggest she stay on the island for a while and then Lin wouldn’t ever see her for anything but official business again. She probably wouldn’t sleep in her apartment ever again, instead using the new police cots she had installed. 

“No! No! I know this isn’t a serious relationship—“

“It is.” Kya interrupted, but Lin powered through, ignoring her.

“—but I’ve always treated it like one. I get it, okay? I know that I can be difficult,” Kya snorted, “And that you didn’t want anyone to know, and I understand that, alright? I know how these things go— Mom had a ton of them and you’ve always been free to leave.” Lin explained, then breathed, hitching more than she was comfortable with. She’d said her piece and waited for Kya’s response. 

“What the flameo makes you think this isn’t a serious relationship? It’s been over two years. You eat dinner with my family once a month! We go on dates! You say ‘I know’ a lot for someone who doesn’t know _anything_!” Kya yelled, gesticulating wildly. She quieted, “Have you been seeing someone else?”

“No! I told you, I’ve been treating this like a serious relationship!” Lin wouldn’t do that. She wasn’t Tenzin. 

“So what makes you think that it isn’t?”

“We haven’t told your mom, and I know you don’t like being tied down. I didn’t want to make you feel trapped.” 

“That’s it? There’s overwhelming evidence in favor of a relationship and those two things make you think it’s not? Lin, I’ve changed in the past forty years! Maybe I want to be tied down now, have you ever thought of that?”

“I thought we were just friends! It didn’t matter what I actually wanted out of it. I was feeling lucky that you wanted me at all, even if it was just for a soft bed and a decent fuck every once in a while.” Lin defended herself, “Friends do all those things too, and you didn’t tell Katara and I’m not stupid, Kya, I know what that means! You tell your parents about a relationship, but you don’t tell them about a fling.”

“I thought you wanted to tell her! You’ve sent letters back and forth since she’s been at the South Pole! She’s been there for almost thirty years and every two weeks, like clockwork, there’d be a letter from you. You’re close!”

“I wouldn’t... I wouldn’t do that. Kya, she’s _your_ mom. It’s not my place to tell her anything like that.” And Lin had been so worried about making a fool of herself, of Kya, if Katara mentioned it to Kya when Kya went to visit. As close as she felt to Katara, Kya was her actual daughter. She wouldn’t sabotage that. She respected boundaries, unlike the rest of her family.

“I’m going to go on a walk.” Lin ignored the pit in her stomach at Kya’s words. “I want to go think and then we’re finishing this when I get back, alright?” 

Lin nodded. _Finishing this_. Lin was hopeful that she just meant the conversation. Not everything else. Kya grabbed Lin’s coat, the one she borrowed so often Lin wasn’t sure if she was aware that it wasn’t actually her coat, and walked out the room. She heard the front door open, and it slammed shut, the lock clicking in place automatically.

Lin started tidying the room. She had left dishes from dinner to soak and they would be ready now. It was better that she was productive instead of stewing in her own thoughts. Look where that had gotten her. 

She washed the dishes and wiped down the stove until it was spotless. She glanced at the clock and it had only been thirty minutes. If Kya was going to come back at all, it would probably have been within the hour. Lin tried to think of something else to do, but all she could think of was making tea and that didn’t take nearly enough time. She made it anyway, trying desperately not to think. She grabbed one of the river stones Kya had gifted her when she first started staying over, running her fingers over its smooth surface. 

As she finished preparing two cups of tea, the locked clicked and Kya walked in, a determined look on her face. 

Lin handed her a mug and waited for her to speak, still turning the stone over in her lap. 

“Alright, I’m still mad. Partially at you, mostly at myself. It’s been two years, I should have realized something was wrong when I found out you were lying to me to get out of sex. I should have confronted you then, but I thought you’d tell me eventually.

“I want us to go to the South Pole and see my mom. She loves you like you were her own, alright, so we’re going to tell her we’ve been in a serious, real relationship for two flaming years.” Kya ordered. A weight lifted off Lin’s shoulders, only to be replaced by a pit in her stomach. 

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to get out of work that easy.” Even if it would be nice to go to the pole again, she wasn’t sure she could swing it on such short notice. 

“You’re retiring in a few years, right? Make sure Saikhan can handle your duties before you choose him as your successor. It’ll be a month, tops. I know you have vacation saved up. If you don’t want to think of this as a vacation, think of it as a training exercise for him.”

Nerves twisted in her stomach. She knew Kya was right, but the last time Saikhan had been in charge, she lost her bending and Amon wreaked havoc. There was nothing so serious facing the city now, and hesitantly Lin nodded. She’d given her life for this city, it was time she took time for herself.

“What’s the earliest you can leave?” 

She thought about the upcoming meetings she had scheduled. “Next week, maybe. I’ll have to spend a lot of time getting everything ready.” Lin warned her. 

“That’s fine. I’ll go see if I can borrow a bison—“

“Can we just take a boat?” Lin suggested. “I don’t like flying.”

“Okay make it 5 weeks if we take a boat.” Lin sighed, then nodded. 

“I’m going to go to the station and get started. It’s going to be a lot of prep.” Kya agreed with her, and she suited up and left the apartment. 

——

Kya settled into her bed later that night, and Lin still felt awkward trying to do anything. Had she been as mad as Kya, she would have probably disappeared to the precinct for a couple days and then returned and pretended nothing was wrong. Tenzin would have pretended he was never mad in the first place.

But Kya just... moved on, after confronting her. Lin still didn’t think that meant she was willing to let Lin touch her as though nothing had transpired, and she wasn’t in the mood to provoke another fight. She lay in bed, staring at her ceiling. 

She had considered not coming back until late at night, but was reminded of the other times Kya had stayed up late until she had gotten home. She had finished looking over the papers that were on her desk and had started compiling an official list for Saikhan when she glanced at the clock and saw that it was already almost 10PM.

“You know I love you for so much more than sex, right?” Kya turned so she was laying down and facing Lin. “You said earlier that you thought all I wanted you for was a ‘decent fuck’ and, Lin, please tell me you know that isn’t true.” A quick glance and she could see the tears in Kya’s eyes. Guilt filled her. She really needed to watch what she said when her emotions were high. 

“Yeah, I know that isn’t true.” Anything to get that look off Kya’s face. “I was just upset at the time.”

Kya moved and rested on her elbow, reaching her hand to cup Lin’s scarred cheek. Lin allowed her face to be pushed to look at Kya. 

“You’re strong, and brave, and funny. I love that you watch shitty movers with me and complain about them afterwards. I love that you’ve devoted yourself to your work and that you’re passionate about making this city better. I love that you join me and Bumi in making fun of Tenzin, because if anyone deserves it, it’s him. I love how we’ve corrupted my nieces and nephews. 

“I love your temper, even when it’s directed at me, because it’s your way of showing you care. I love that you open up with me, and that we’ve had similar life experiences with fighting things bigger than ourselves. I think you’re so beautiful and I love it when we fuck, but that’s not even a fraction of it. If we couldn’t do anything but spend time and sleep next to one another until one of us kicks it, it would be enough.” Kya finished, still looking into Lin’s eyes. She couldn’t speak immediately after such a declaration. 

Lin reached over and pulled Kya into an embrace, “I didn’t realize you cared about me like that. I— thanks for telling me. I’m sorry I’ve made you doubt yourself.” She wrestled with herself before continuing, “I love you, too. I, uh, have for a while, but I didn’t think it was appropriate to tell you. You make me want to leave work on time, and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world when I come home and you’re still here.” It was easier to say it to the top of Kya’s head instead of looking into her eyes. 

Kya wrapped her arms around Lin and squeezed, before grabbing Lin’s hands and holding them. “We’ve turned into a bunch of saps in our old age.”

“Yeah, I don’t hate it, though.”

“Me neither.”

——

Saikhan was as ready as he was ever going to be, which would have to be enough. Kya arranged for a cargo ship going to the south pole to take a few extra passengers, and Lin had everything packed. 

To say she was nervous was an understatement. Lin had no intentions of telling her family about the two of them. She could hear Su and her mom asking if she was only with Tenzin’s sister as a _replacement_ and she wouldn’t be liable if she murdered them then and there. 

She didn’t want to hear her mom say that of course since Lin couldn’t get a man, a woman would do just fine. Any time Lin had considered telling her, she couldn’t imagine the conversation going well and resolved not to tell her. She probably knew anyway, the same way she knew when Lin snuck out as a teenager.

Katara had been more like her mother anyway, especially after Su was sent away and her mom abandoned her _again_.

Katara would be happy for them, she just knew it. She had to be. 

——

Lin smiled at Kya and Katara’s reunion. It was so much happier than the last time she was here. Kya dropped her things, ran forward and hugged her mom. Lin carried the bag from the metal buttons, not letting it drop in the snow. 

“Mom! It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you again!” Katara said joyfully. She turned to the third member of their group, “Lin! Two visits in ten years? I feel like a lucky lady.” An extended arm and Lin joined the hug, trying to be less stiff and more accepting. 

“I’m glad you’re doing well, Katara.” Another squeeze and she let go of the earthbender. 

“Come in! I’m glad you two decided to visit during the summer, the sun doesn’t go down!” Katara ushered them inside. Kya grabbed her bag from where it was floating and carried it into the home. 

“Mom, have you heard from Bumi or Tenzin recently?” Kya asked. Katara was busying herself in the kitchen, heating some water and preparing some snacks. 

“Your brothers call me once a week. Bumi’s air bending has gotten a lot better. He said Jinora was helping him more than Tenzin.” Lin couldn’t hold in her laugh. “Tenzin was telling me that Rohan sneezed himself six feet in the air!” Lin remembered when Tenzin had sneezed himself into the ceiling in their twenties. She bet it was a lot cuter when it was a kid.

“I told them they should come down and show you all the new things they can do. Bumi’s thrilled to show you his latest sweater for Bum-Ju.” Kya chatted. Katara placed a plate on her table and the three of them sat around it. Lin liked hearing the two of them interact, the easy conversation between them was absent in any Beifong household.

“Not that I’m not happy you’re here, but what prompted your visit? Lin, you don’t exactly make it down here very often.” The only time Lin had been here since she joined the force was after the Equalists. 

Lin looked towards Kya. They’d talked about how to tell Katara, but it was still Kya’s right as her family to tell her. And it didn’t put Lin on the spot for her own coming out. It was like a win-win. 

“We wanted to tell you that we’re together. For the past two years.” Kya said bluntly. 

Katara said nothing, for a moment, and Lin was terrified she was going to tell Kya she could do better than her, better than Tenzin’s reject. She clenched her hands, forcing them to stay still in her lap.

Katara smiled, “Good for you! If anyone was going to make you settle down, it was going to be Lin!”

“Hey! I settled down just fine for fifteen years when we moved back here.” Kya laughed. 

“You were off galavanting in the tundra every other week. I don’t think that’s very settled.” the elder disagreed. “I was so worried about you, Lin.”

Surprised, Lin blurted, “What? Why were you worried about me?” Her letters had been carefully crafted without a hint of loneliness and she always tried to keep them upbeat. 

“You were always so serious, even as a child. And then when you stopped writing me I asked Tenzin to check on you, don’t give me that look, and whatever he did worked because you were writing again! I have almost four decades worth of letters from you in a box, every two weeks except for that one time. None of your letters ever mentioned anything but work, but that can’t be all you are. I knew you were an art connoisseur, and you liked theatre but it was never mentioned unless I brought it up.” Lin squirmed in her seat. 

“Uh, no there was just work. During that time. There was someone, but they were the one who stole my mail.” And then there had been nothing but work after that that. When Opal had sought her advice, Lin remembered how unfulfilling her life had felt, how Lin had wanted something that she couldn’t have outside of her duty to the city.

“Oh! My friend told me about that guy. Were the tickets necessary?” Kya interrupted. 

“The what?” Lin hadn’t seriously thought about Vornak in ages. She’d been happy to see him leave the city a few months after their breakup, but it wasn’t worth the effort to dwell on him after their relationship ended. 

“You know,” she elbowed Lin, “The guy couldn’t park anywhere or do anything for months without receiving a fine for something. I mean I understood Pema being arrested, Tenzin was a _dick_ about the whole thing, but you ended that relationship.”

It was Lao. That opossum-rat bastard had interfered with her personal life again. “I’m going to talk with Saikhan about it when I get back. I never heard anything about these tickets. And I never arrested Pema. That was Lao.” Lin didn’t want Kya to think so lowly of her, that she’d abuse her authority like that. That if her officers ever bothered her, Lin needed to know, no matter what happened between them. 

“That’s not what I heard.” Kya teased.

“Well, it’s the truth. I had nothing to do with either.” Lin retorted, then yawned. 

Katara smiled at her two bickering children. “Please let me take you to the guest rooms. I had prepared both of them for you two, but would I be right in assuming you only need one?” 

Lin nodded, and Katara led them to the larger of the two rooms before leaving them to their own devices for the night. They changed into night clothes, before getting into bed together. 

“No matter what happens with us, you need to let me know if any of my officers give you trouble.” Lin said seriously. 

“You planning on making them worried sometime soon?” Kya joked. 

“No! But I’m not my mom, okay? It’s wrong and I don’t want you to feel forced to leave the city because of it.” Lin continued, earnest. 

“Yeah. Alright. I’ll let you know if I get tickets for being too hot or anything like that.” Kya assured her, smiling. 

Lin kissed her.

“So, when are we telling Toph and your sister?”

Lin pushed Kya away and groaned. “We’re not. It’s none of their business what I do or who I do it with.”

Kya was grinning like a loon. “Okay, Chief. Now, we have to huddle for warmth down here, kinda the best part!” and she nestled closer to Lin. 

Lin could get used to this.

**Author's Note:**

> I love them and the idea of their soft moments being punctuated by Kya teasing Lin and then Lin’s heart turning into a puddle so. 
> 
> Indulge me.


End file.
